HOBOKEN -- Housing Authority Commissioner Marianne Camporeale has denied rumors and reports that she has been ejected from the board.

"I am still a commissioner," said Camporeale. "I will go to the next meeting if nothing changes."

HHA Director Carmelo Garcia also confirmed that Camporeale is still on the board.

Camporeale faced claims during Thursday night's Housing Authority meeting that she may have to resign after she failed to complete the required training courses within 18 months of her 2010 appointment.

The matter evidently was put before the board by member Jake Stuiver.

"This came to my attention and I made some inquiries as to what the proper way to proceed is under the circumstances," continued Stuiver. "I was told categorically that there are no exceptions, extensions, or waivers under such circumstances. The statute is extraordinarily cut and dry."

Camporeale then chose to step down from the dais, and the meeting was continued without her.

"It was a sneak attack," said Camporeale.

Politics? Sources have said that if the position indeed becomes vacant, the City Council will likely appoint a new member to the board. Currently, the majority of the council is comprised of members who typically align with the Zimmer administration. Camporeale has been a vocal critic of Mayor Dawn Zimmer in the past.

"We most likely avoided having to redo the votes," said Housing Authority Commissioner David Mello, who also serves on the council. Mello said that if Camporeale voted and it was later determined that she was not a commissioner, each item would have to be voted upon again in the future.

Garcia said that the Housing Authority has not received word that would enforce Camporeale's resignation.

"The Housing Authority has not received a communication from the Department of Community Affairs or any authority at this point."

Camporeale told The Reporter that she has completed five out of the six courses, and is seeking an extension to the deadline for the completion of the last one.

"I have attended most of the required classes," said Camporeale, citing a medical condition as her reasoning for failing to complete the final course.

Mello said that he believed Camporeale would have to resign.

"To my knowledge there hasn't been any written communication [from the DCA] but I've also been assured that there will be," said Mello.

Camporeale, who was appointed by the City Council in 2010, would have had to completed the training courses by January.

According to a housing authority statute that was sent to The Reporter, a commissioner can become eligible for reappointment once the training courses have been completed. Stay tuned to The Reporter for more. -Stephen LaMarca

The HR should be seriously embarrassed - not by the story but about the headline. the story is fair. The headline is a joke. And the funniest part of the joke is that the bias of the HR editorial board is exposed to no editorial advantage since at the end of the day Ms. Camporeale's continued service on the HHA board will not be a matter of opinion and the HR will wind up having to print the actual facts.

The story itself makes clear that the issue was not a "rumor." The issue was officially raised by Commissioner Stuiver at a meeting and Ms. Camporeale was asked by the HHA lawyer to "voluntarily" not participate in the meeting while the very real legal issue was sorted out.

I'm guessing Mr. LaMarca wrote the story, which is completely fair and factual, and someone else wrote the biased misleading headline. Its a shame that the fine young reporters hired by the Hoboken Reporter so often get unfairly blamed for biases of those who write the headlines and often rewrite the stories.

Just to make clear: "HHA Commissioner Stuiver raises questions about Camporeale's status as Commissioner" would have been a fair and accurate headline that fit the story and displayed no bias. It would also have been a perfectly reasonable editorial choice to write nothing until the events played themselves out.

This isn't rocket science boys and girls. It's actually easier to write a fair and accurate headline than a biased and misleading one.

The Mason Family Civic League for the sixth week in in a row has purchased a half page ad in the Hoboken Reporter.

CommentGrader

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June 18, 2012

Hi Westy:

Even though your comment is only one sentence, it still contains a few errors that must be addressed.

The comment is accurate, helpful, and informs the reader of something new. That was great! However, you used the word "in" twice in a row, while only one "in" was necessary. There are also missing commas, which, if properly applied, could have helped the natural flow of the sentence. Also, half page ad should be written as "half-page ad." Please allow me to show you how the comment would have been more effectively written.

"For the sixth week in a row, the Mason Family Civic League purchased a half-page ad in The Hoboken Reporter."

After this sentence, a statement on how you believe the purchase of an advertisement may protect the buyer from editorial scrutiny would have contributed to the effectiveness of the comment. Without that sentence, your point only comes across to a small number of politically informed residents, while others may wonder why you would point out about a councilwoman's spending practices.

Final Grade: C

WESTY

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June 19, 2012

CommentGrader,

I see other than your fixation on my posts, you still have nothing to add to the conversation.

ParkAvStog

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June 18, 2012

Hey, heard Brooke wrote a bunch on this over at Patch now but can't seem to find it. Anyone have the link to that news story?

Greenshirt, why didn't you just log in under the name you used a few posts down, Smartyjones? Was it because you wanted to avoid the question of why you don't ever contact anyone except City Hall people to write your posts?

Or was it because you didn't want anyone to know that you only post on the net in order to plug your blog? You keep plugging your blog so that people will read the city hall spin and not regular news organizations. At least do it under your own name.

MSV has and will continue to seek out comment on important questions of the day from all sides as a matter of policy.

As a current example, MSV again invites Councilwoman Beth Mason to answer questions surrounding her charity the Mason Civic League where no legally required information has been filed showing expense/income information.

MSV exclusively reported there are more than several political operatives paid to "work" for the Mason Civic League including her 2011 campaign manager Ryan Yacco last Monday. A Union City judge stated similarly after perjurious statements by Beth Mason "employees" of her Mason Civic League.

She is in her 60s, so what is YOUR excuse for not having a job? You post on your blog all day and on other sites, trying to get people to read your blog. Who is funding it? Is it city hall? If not, what do you do for work? You are a man in your 40s not elderly.

Redrider765

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June 17, 2012

If her excuse is she is in her mid 60s and that is why she can't take those classes while not working all day then clearly she is too busy or too incapable of attending to her duties on the HHA and she should resign.

MidtownFan

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June 15, 2012

maybe she was too busy to finish the courses in time

like our council president was too busy to renew his drivers license on time

a. Any person serving as a member of a housing authority or a redevelopment agency on or after the effective date of the rules adopted pursuant to section 45 of P.L. 1992, c.79 (C.40A:12A-45) shall satisfactorily complete the course of study prescribed by the commissioner within eighteen months following the date of appointment or July 1, 1997, whichever is later, or shall be deemed to have resigned his position effective at the end of that period of time.

Redrider765

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June 17, 2012

She was too busy doing what? Watching Judge Judy? The woman is retired and if her calendar is so full of stuff that as a retired person she can't find time for those 6 classes then she should resign from the HHA b/c clearly she doesn't have time for that. That too busy comment is as dumb as Carmelo's constant excuses for why he bails on BOE meetings.

Grafix_Avenger

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June 15, 2012

Sorry, Stephen. Garcia and Camporeale were spinning hard. The statute is inflexible and the DCA cannot override it. The never have and don't have the authority to do so.

Per statute, if the study course is not completed- COMPLETED- within eighteen months the board member will be "deemed to have resigned his position".

That's right. Camporeale is no longer a board member, per statute-- the DCA letter is merely a formality. Politicos can spin until the cows come home, it changes nothing.

The real problem for the HHA is that Camporeale has been voting since she was effectively "deemed resigned" 6 months ago which creates a mess for the HHA . They'll have to do a retroactive review of all their votes and see what he impact is. It is a mess. Stuiver recognized the legal issues the HHA is facing and acted in the interest of he Board.

A lawyer friend has confirmed the statute prevails. The law is the law. Without wiggle room.

a. Any person serving as a member of a housing authority or a redevelopment agency on or after the effective date of the rules adopted pursuant to section 45 of P.L. 1992, c.79 (C.40A:12A-45) shall satisfactorily complete the course of study prescribed by the commissioner within eighteen months following the date of appointment or July 1, 1997, whichever is later, or shall be deemed to have resigned his position effective at the end of that period of time.

According to a March 2, 2011 letter on DCA letterhead from the Deputy Director Division of Housing & Community Resources:

"The DCA does not have the authority to grant training extensions established by statute."

"Those who fail to meet the 18 month requirement to complete training... shall be deemed to have resigned."

(a) "Commissioner... is deemed to have vacated his position and will not be eligible for reappointment to the board until he has fulfilled all course requirements, having taken the remaining prescribe courses at his own expense at a time WHEN NOT serving as a board member."

Which means the resigned board member in question, Maryanne Camporeale can re-apply for an open position at a later date.

Has Carmelo Garcia produced information stating otherwise and what is the source of your document saying different from the referenced March 11, 2012 DCA letter above?

I dispute this MSV commnent based o the fact that MSV is a blog that only writes things in favor of the mayor's political supporters and never tries to get both sides like it looks like the HR at least tries. I also dispute it based on the fact taht MSV would not even write about Bhalla's issue with his license even the smallest smallest story becauuse he is a mayor ally. Lest your credability be questioned MSV please tell us how many times you tried to ask Garcia this question other then just posting it on the internet like you normally do. I can post questions on the internet all day but it doesnt give me the answers.

Smartyjones

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June 16, 2012

Based on a previous resignation reported in the Hudson Reporter itself, this same situation occurred with Ruben Ramos deemed resigned by nature of his failure to satisfy requirements of his seat.

The HR should view its own archives.

=====

You wish to "dispute" a comment MF? Okay, I suggest you send it to the United Nations. You make false allegations and MSV invites and seeks comment for stories all the time. A right on red ticket in Hoboken, no not a story. MSV has instead covered more important stories on this HHA seat and the sudden passing of HMHA board member Steve Rofsky.

MSV's question to the Hudson Reporter stands and if Carmelo Garcia or anyone has produced documentation contrary to the law as earlier stated with the Ruben Ramos example, please provide it for public examination.

MSV also continues to invite Beth Mason to provide the records for public view with income/expense information of her charity, the Mason Civic League.